Nine Nations Pioneer Theatre Collaboration for Peace
Two weeks of intensive exchange yield a promising future for fledgling network, an initiative of Bond Street Theatre of New York and Theatre Tsvete of Bulgaria.
(PRWEB) July 28, 2005
Nine directors and 16 actors conduct a lively discourse in a sunny room in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, with a serious intent to bring peace to the Balkans. The largest theatre collaboration of its kind, this historical meeting initiated the formation of the Performing Artists for Balkan Peace and included representatives from Bulgaria, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Greece, England and the USA.
The symposium was a challenge,” said Joanna Sherman, Artistic Director of Bond Street Theatre. ”Could we expect any group of directors and artists to co-create peacefully while focusing on such potentially explosive material as cross-border peace in the Balkans?”
Balkan artists have been isolated for more than a decade by border politics, distance, and long-standing ethnic disputes. The Performing Artists for Balkan Peace will provide a sustainable forum and a desperately needed strategy to continue communication, resource-sharing and training between the groups. It will also substantiate the role of artists as leaders in the movement towards tolerance and peace in the region.
The two week project, held from May 29-June 12, culminated in a performance created cooperatively by theatre directors from countries traditionally at odds. The final production, titled Blood and Honey – taken from the Turkish origin of the word Balkan - BAL (Blood) and KAN (honey) – was performed in Blagoevgrad and the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.
Themes selected for Blood and Honey were hotly debated among participants and ranged from “human trafficking to government corruption to loss of national confidence.” These themes formed the bases for each day’s collaboration, with actors from all companies participating and divided between the directors in a healthy mix of national origins.
Each company also presented workshops on their own theatrical techniques to the other participants. Each evening, the groups offered work demonstrations and lectures open to the public of Blagoevgrad.
The formation of the Performing Artists for Balkan Peace network was supported with substantial funding from both US and European sources: the Trust for Mutual Understanding, the ProHelvetia Swiss Cultural Programme, the TCG/International Theatre Institute, and the GulliverÂ’s Connect Fund.
The collaboration was also heralded by the Blagoevgrad municipality which offered to host annual meetings of the new network. Local theatre students clamored to get involved and the final production received good reviews, for its artistry as well as for its intention.
Inspired by the success of their inaugural collaboration, the Performing Artists for Balkan Peace has expansive plans for the future, including the potential of opening its membership to
Artists worldwide who are devoted to peace-building. The next meeting of the network is tentatively scheduled for Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in March 2006.
“We want the network to become a global phenomenon,” says Nelko Nelkovski, Director of Theatre Boemi of Macedonia.” From the Balkans to Africa, we want to build the cultural blueprint for constructing peace through practical artistic exchange.”
Participating companies include: Dah Teatar (Serbia and Montenegro), Mostar Youth Theatre (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Theatre Boemi (Macedonia), Teatri Petro Marko (Albania), Theatre Dodona (Kosovo), PAC Multimedia (Macedonia), Polygon Arts (UK), and the hosting groups Theatre Tsvete (Bulgaria) and Bond Street Theatre (USA).
BACKGROUND: Bond Street Theatre and Theatre Tsvete met during the Kosovo conflict in 1999 while performing in refugee camps. Their mutual mission is to use the expressive arts to address critical issues. They have jointly created performances and educational projects throughout the region, frequently in collaboration with local theatre groups. The two companies offer their model of effective collaboration as an example of and inspiration for a creative network dedicated to mutual understanding.
Bond Street Theatre of New York City, a company with a 25-year history of creating international arts projects and recipient of a MacArthur Award, champions the relevance of the arts in conflict zones, post-war environments and in nations where cultural diplomacy is crucially needed. The company is also currently working in Afghanistan.
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